Reflection
by Aka Chuurippu
Summary: 18 yr old Rai reflects on her friendship with Chad since she moved to Karakura, and the realisation that without him her life would be completely different. Warning: Disturbing Child Abuse. M for sexual assault & violence. ChadxOC
1. Chapter 1

AS ALWAYS: I created the Hayashi family, I own nothing of Bleach or anything belonging to Tite Kubo.

* * *

A knock at the oak wood door informed her of his arrival, she bounced over like a bunny and turning the door knob granted him access into her home with a beaming smile. It wasn't much, a one bedroom apartment, which meant she slept on a futon, and the whole place was pretty basic. The living room also served as the dining room, and held the futon where she slept at night. There was a small bathroom with enough space for the toilet, sink, and shower stall. There wasn't enough room for a tub. The kitchen was a bit cramped as well, but she managed. She bereaved all of it for the little girl she had recently gained custody of. "Konnichiha (1) Sado-kun!" the child chirped as she charged at him, seeing her he knelt down so she could easily wrap her tiny arms around his neck in a hug.

"Konnichiha Hayashi-chan," he replied.

The two friends smiled at each other, they knew the child was grateful for what they'd done for her two years previously, when they had both been sixteen years old. Looking up at Chad's face eight-year-old Sakura Hayashi blushed a little, he was one of the very few men she still trusted, the others being Ichigo, Renji and Uryuu.

The three of them sat around a table as the food was placed down for them, it wasn't anything fancy. A bowl of miso soup, a green salad, and mango chicken with rice. Sakura's favourites, since it was her birthday, which is why Chad had agreed to come over. He was going to be going away for College that September he wouldn't be able to see her for a while. He had a fondness for the young child. She had endured so much at such a young age, and yet she smiled as vibrantly as she did the first day he met her. He thought bitterly to himself, what he had endured by her age was nothing compared to her hardships.

He looked over at her guardian, Rai she was quite unusual for a woman who grew up in Japan. Most of the people in Japan had raven hair, but Rai's hair was sunshine golden, her eyes were pale blue pools, and reminded him of the sky whenever he looked into them, she stood at around 5'8", tall for a Japanese woman. She wasn't very much in terms of physical strength, but he had seen her hold her own quite capably.

It was her emotional and mental strength that impressed him most though. Sakura was her younger half-sister from a brief affair that her father had. Upon discovering Sakura's birth, Rai's mother had divorced their father, and gained custody of her daughter. Rai had moved to Karakura from Kobe three years ago after her mother passed away to live with her father. She had instantly taken into the big sister role in Sakura's life, becoming her protector, and female influence.

Glancing over at the dark haired child, he shuttered slightly as he remembered how broken she had appeared to be two years prior, so near death. Rai had discovered what had happened to her, and had been running on foot to get her little sister to a hospital when he ran into them, having only spoken to her here and there at school before that fateful day. He had taken the child from her and rushed her to the Kurosaki Clinic in hopes that Dr. Kurosaki could stablize her while they waited for an ambulance. The little girl had survived because of their joined efforts, but more so on Yasutora Sado's part.

The little girl glanced over at him and smiled broadly. She knew what he had done to help them both that day. She also knew that for all intents and purposes she would be dead if it wasn't for Chad and Ichigo. Both of whom were blood matches to her.

"Sakura, you have school tomorrow don't forget," Rai reminded the child.

"I know. Oyasuminasai (2) Sado-kun," the little girl replied, bowing slightly.

"Oyasuminasai Kawaiko chan (3)," he replied hugging her tightly. Rai signaled for him to make himself comfortable while she read Sakura a story, they both disappeared into the one bedroom.

He was absent mindedly flipping through the TV channels when Rai returned closing the bedroom door over behind her, leaving it open just a crack. The whole ordeal that child had endured a few years ago had made her a little afraid of the dark, unless the door was slightly opened so that Rai would hear if she screamed for her.

Sighing a little, she sat down next to Chad, leaning her head back and staring up at the ceiling. It's amazing what just a few short years can change. She began reflecting, the day she had met Yasutora and Ichigo, a day that would've completely altered her current reality if it had never occurred.

~ Three years prior ~

Fifteen-year-old Rai Hayashi looked at the yellow paper in her hand, trying to figure out how to get to her home room. She walked down the hallway slowly, uncertain of anything around her. "Hey, you new here?" a voice called out to her, she blushed immediately. Was she that obvious?

"Uh, yeah, I am," she replied sheepishly, looking down at her books.

"Need help finding your class?" the voice asked again, it was deep but something about it was gentle as well.

"Well… yeah, I wasn't able to attend orientation so I'm not sure where this classroom is," she replied, her shyness was reflected in her voice. He took the yellow paper from her, it was then that she realized he was darker toned than she was. "That's my home room, I'll walk with you," he offered.

"Okay."

"Are you going to keep your head down?" he asked suddenly.

She blushed a bit realizing that he may view her shyness as being rude. She blushed a bit more but raised her head a bit; this guy was tall, easily over 6 feet. He was more muscular than any other guy she'd ever met before, yet for some reason she felt she had no need to fear him. "My name's Yasutora Sado," he introduced himself.

"Rai Hayashi," she responded, starting to relax a little.

"You're new to Karakura?"

She nodded, "just moved here from Kobe."

"Never been there, heard a few things though."

"Oh, it gets a little boring sometimes. But I guess that's true of any city you live in," she laughed. Smooth Rai, maybe next you can blurt out that your hair is naturally blond!

"I was born in Okinawa," he told her suddenly, wondering to himself why he was talking so much. Then he dismissed the concern noticing that she had relaxed with him talking to her. She had looked so tense when he first saw her, he was almost certain that Keigo had been the first person she had met. He shivered at that thought, that wouldn't have been very nice. Keigo could be a good person when he chose to be, but for the most part he was a womanizing dork. They continued to make small talk towards their intended destination.

They reached room 1-3 and entered, a few people in the class waved to him, and he waved back. Rai felt like hiding in a corner until the end of the school day, but Yasutora grasped her shoulder and invited her to sit on his desk top until the teacher assigned her a seat. "Arigato (4)," she whispered suddenly.

"Hmm?"

"For being so nice," she replied, smiling a bit.

"Do itashi mashite (5). I know what it's like to be new to a school," he assured her. She smiled again, a little less restrained.

"Hey Chad, are you hanging out at the mall later?" An orange haired boy asked of her kind classmate. He shook his head 'no'.

"Why not?"

"No money for it," he replied.

"Ah, that sucks," the orange haired boy sympathized. He noticed Rai sitting on Chad's desk. "Hey, you're new?"

Rai nodded slowly, he out stretched a hand to her, "Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Rai Hayashi," she returned taking his hand and shaking it slightly.

He then turned her attention to a raven-haired boy with glasses who was reading a book at the front of the aisle, "That's Uryuu Ishida."

Then he pointed to an orange haired girl with a large bust, "that's Orihime Inoue."

Next he indicated a short raven-haired girl whose hair was partially in her face, "Rukia Kuchiki."

Ichigo went through the classroom indicating each student, trying to introduce her to as many as he could remember with ease.

By the end of it Rai felt uncertain if she'd remember all of them, she was horrible with names, though she'd remember the faces easily.

The first day of school went by easily for her, after wards she walked to the elementary school to meet five-year-old Sakura, only to find that five guys from the high school were cornering her little sister, Rai saw an opening and took it. Dropping her book bag, she ran forward, then threw herself to the ground, sliding through the opening between one of the gangsters legs.

She rose to a kneeling position next to her sister, her facial expression one of full disapproval and disgust as she looked these guys over.

"You think you can take the five of us on?"

"I don't have to beat you, I just need to give her enough time to run," Rai retorted, her defiance expressed in her glare. This guy had to be joking, he had an earring that attached to a nose ring with a chain, she could easily pull the chain and rip out either piercing, or both inflicting a good deal of pain in the process. If he took one more step towards them, that's exactly what she'd do. She had no formal training, but being a teenage girl in a big city had forced her to learn a few street fighter techniques.

"Hey Weasel, picking on the new kids again?" Ichigo's voice floated over to her ears.

"Uh, boss, it's Sado and Kurosaki," one of the others informed the leader of the group, who turned around to see them. "Oh man, no way! What is with these guys?"

"Forget the small fry's money, it ain't worth another hospital stay," the other four whimpered running away.

"Hey! I say if we run or not."

"Make you a deal weasel, you land one hit on me, in fifteen minutes, I'll give you everything in my wallet. If you can't, and I hit you instead, you leave me and my sister alone. What do you say?"

Weasel looked her over, she wasn't very muscular at all, she was scrawny in fact. "You're on," he grinned, Rai narrowed her gaze on him and set the alarm on her watch for 15 minutes.

"It's on."

He threw a bunch towards her, grabbing a hold of Sakura she maneuvered out of range. It continued like that for 15 minutes, each time Weasel tried to attack her, she'd move out of his reach. He realized too late that she had been moving around in a circle. The watch on her wrist beeped, "Times up," she announced as her fist connected with his nose. Watching the man fall to the ground, the little raven haired child in Rai's arms looked up at her and asked, "Rai, what's that song you sang to me before?"

Rai laughed, as she began saying in a sing-song voice, "Every night when I get home, the monkey's on the table. Take a stick and knock him off, pop! Goes the weasel!"

Sakura giggled with delight, looking over at Weasel. "Sakura, really? That's an awful thing to think," Rai scolded her playfully.

"I know," the little girl snickered.

"Hey, you two alright?" Ichigo asked. Chad was enjoying the scene before him.

"Yeah, we're fine. I should get this tyke home," Rai replied, shooting a friendly smile in their direction.

"See you tomorrow Rai," Chad called to her.

"See you tomorrow Sado-kun," she replied a smile danced on her pale lips.

"Sissy's got a crush," Sakura teased. Rai responded by sticking her tongue out at the child and contorting her face. This act only evoked further laughing and teasing from the younger sister.

~ Present Day~

"Rai?" Chad's voice broke into her thoughts.

"Hmm? Sorry," she blushed a bit sheepishly.

"I know that look, what were you thinking about?"

"The day I started at Karakura High. More specifically how Weasel's gang just kind of ran off at the sight of you and Ichigo. I always wondered why."

"Oh that," he replied chuckling to himself a bit. "I first met Ichigo in eighth grade, when I started at Mashiba Junior High. Anyways, I broke up some senior's attempt at beating him up, so that day after school Weasel and his group tried to beat me up. Ichigo stopped them. Then later on, they hit me over the head with a rock, then tied me up and took my medallion from me-" he paused to cradle the small gold foreign coin between his fingers. "- And again, Ichigo stopped them. It was that day that we made a pact. I'll never raise a hand to defend myself, it's a vow I made to Abuelo, so Ichigo had this idea. He'd throw his punches for me, if I'd throw mine for him. I agreed to it. That day, Ichigo hospitalized Weasel's gang for a few days. Ever since then, they run at the sight of us together."

"Wow. No wonder they ran," she laughed lightly. She was relaxing a bit, but she'd have to go to bed soon.

"Ugh, dishes," she reminded herself, picking up the dirty ceramic plates and chopsticks. Chad knew it was her least favorite chore. "I'll help," he offered following her to the kitchen. With Chad scrubbing while Rai dried, the dishes were done quickly, though they had to angle themselves in the kitchen, and having two people in the kitchen was making her nearly claustrophobic. Sensing this Chad left the kitchen the moment the last dish was washed and placed in the drain tray. "Want some tea?" she asked. He smiled at her, giving her the response she desired. She smiled back. It didn't take much to know Chad, just an ability to interpret body language which she was always good at.

Her thoughts drifted to when they were sixteen together, and when things sort of changed for herself and Sakura. The thoughts sent chills down her spine and she thanked Kami that he had been there for them, like he always was.

* * *

1) Konnichiha = Hello

2) Oyasuminasai = Good night

3) Kawaiko Chan = little one

4) Arigato = Thank you

5) Do itashi mashite = You're welcome


	2. Chapter 2

~ Two years prior~

"Girls, your uncle is going to be moving in next month to help us out with some expenses. I expect you both to be respectful and considerate of him while he resides with us," Mr. Hayashi stated at the breakfast table. Sixteen year old Rai looked up at her father. "Which Uncle?"

"Uncle Toshio, he and aunt Ren aren't getting along at the moment, and there are some issues with babysitting here, so he agreed to move in and take over some babysitting for you Rai."

Rai blushed at this, "Dad I don't mind babysitting Sakura, really."

"None sense, you're a teenager! You should be out there dating. But don't do anything dishonorable."

Rai rolled her eyes at the statement. In her father's eyes, it was always dishonorable for a girl to engage in sexual activity, but he expected the boys to. Such old fashioned none sense in her opinion. "In fact I'm giving you Uncle Toshio permission to punish you if you come home looking like you've done something dishonorable," her father added.

Rai had felt her face flush at this, not in embarrassment this time, but in anger. How could he think that of her?

Weeks past and things with their Uncle Toshio living with them didn't seem to have a huge impact on their lives, until one evening when she returned from hanging out with Chad and Ichigo. Upon entering the house, she heard it, the unmistakable sound of her little sister crying in her room. Having been the mother figure in her sister's life for the past year, her ears were finely tuned to the slightest disturbance from the small child's room. When she turned to enter Sakura's room however, her uncle Toshio stopped her. "She's being punished for not eating her dinner," he informed her.

"What did you feed her?"

"Food."

"Not what I mean Uncle Toshio, was there shrimp?"

"So what if there was?"

"Uh, she's allergic to shell fish! You should go in there and apologize."

He slapped her hard across the face, "Don't tell me what to do child. Allergies are all in the mind. Mind over matter and she'll be able to overcome her allergies easily."

"Or die," Rai spat at him.

Another strike, this time it was a closed fist to her stomach. "We'll know if you're as honorable as you claim if you start bleeding from that," he grinned before adding, "Although if you talk back to your superior gender, you're not that honorable."

Rai leaned up against the wall, silently gasping for breath. The punch to the abdominal area had hurt quite considerably, and she knew she'd bleed later, but not from what he thought. She periodically developed ovarian cysts which would rupture and cause her to bleed. However, she didn't feel it necessary to tell him that, it was personal.

Toshio then went into the bathroom and removed the maxi pads as well as the tampons from the bathroom, putting them in his room and saying he'd be monitoring her cycles from now on.

Rai felt her face flush violently. How dare he! Still this gave her the opperunity she had been hoping for, and she didn't squander it.

She turned the knob to her sister's room and entered defiantly against her Uncle's wishes. He tried to go after her, but she slammed the door in his face, locking it and then using a chair inside Sakura's room to block the door.

She then turned to the small quivering lump in the bed. Placing a hand on her sister's shoulder, Rai went to sit on the bedspread, only to leap back up, the quilt was wet. What was that? She turned on the lamp, and saw the large wet red spot that had formed on the girl's bed sheets. "Sakura you're bleeding!" Rai exclaimed with alarm.

The little girl only sniffled in response.

Rai thought quickly, grabbing a yellow fleece blanket that was draped over another chair, she wrapped up her little sister, then she wrapped her in a clean bed sheet. Toshio's pounding on the bedroom door was becoming more vicious. Rai unplugged the lamp and used it to break the window and screen that concealed them in the room.

She then picked up the child, whose skin tone was slowly graying, her body was trembling in her arms. Rai knew her sister was going to go into shock at any moment. "Hang in there baby," she pleaded.

She climbed out of the window and raced towards the street as fast as she could, she didn't know where to go, or what to do really. All she knew was that her sister needed a doctor, and fast. She began running towards the Karakura Hospital, hoping she'd make it in time.

A few blocks away, Chad had heard the faint sound of shattering glass and told Ichigo he was going to look into it as he turned back. He had been running for only a few short minutes when he caught sight of her, there was Rai running towards him, terror written on her face with strong determined undertones. She was carrying something or someone in her hands, then he noticed the blood on the sheets. "Rai, what happened?"

"I don't know. My uncle did something to her, she's lost a lot of blood," Rai rambled.

"Here, i'm faster," he offered holding out his arms. She handed the little girl over to him, as she stirred in his arms asking for her teddy bear.

Without a word Chad began running, but his direction was different he ran to the Kurosaki clinic, Rai hot on his heals never once looking back. When They entered Ichigo was helping Yuzu with inventory, at the sight of the bed sheets and blood, both called out to their dad that they had an emergency. Isshin Kurosaki came into the emergency area of the clinic, and quickly ordered Ichigo to call Ryuken Ishida and request an ambulance as well as a surgical team on standby, he took Sakura from Chad and began examining her.

He took the child from Chad's arms, asking Rai what had happened. "I'm not sure. I got home from the mall with Chad and Ichigo, and I heard her crying. When I went to go into her room to check on her, my uncle stopped me and said she hadn't eaten her dinner. But he served her shrimp, and she's allergic. I suggested that he apologize to her for that, and he struck my face. When I tried to insist that I see Sakura he punched me in the stomach. I waited until he went into the washroom to put my ... girl products in his room to monitor my- thing before I entered her room. Soon as I was in I locked the door, and blocked it with a chair. I went to sit on her bed, noticed the sheets felt wet, so when I turned on the lamp, I saw the blood. I got us out by breaking the window with the lamp," Rai rambled on.

"She needs a transfusion."

"I can't. My blood type's B, she's type A."

"Use my blood," Chad offered, rolling up his sleeve.

"Are you sure Chad? She's lost quite a bit," Ichigo voiced a concern.

"If nothing else, it'll buy time," he replied.

Isshin nodded setting up the bed next to Sakura for the transfusion. Chad laid on the gurney next to Sakura, whose face was now pale as the bed sheets she laid on. '_Don't give up kid,' _he pleaded inwardly.

"Karin, Yuzu, go into the house please," Isshin requested of his daughters.

"What? But dad-" Karin began to protest before her father cut her off.

"Do as I've asked," Isshin insisted as he pulled back the rest of the blankets and fabric concealing Sakura's injury.

The twins left, grumbling about not being able to help. "Rai, has your uncle shown any unusual interest in your sister?"

Rai thought for a moment before replying, "Not that I've noticed. He insists she wears skirts, I just assumed he was old fashioned."

The horror of what Isshin could be asking about dawned on her, "Are you saying that he-" she swallowed the bile that had crept up into her throat. "That he-he... raped her?"

"Not quite. She was sexually assaulted, but from what I can tell, it wasn't anything organic that caused this. He put a knife in her."

Rai couldn't contain it any longer, she had turned green and despite numerous efforts to force the stomach contents back down, they weren't complying. Ichigo responded quickly handing her a barf bag, which she promptly filled with him holding back her hair.

Chad felt his own stomach churning, and Ichigo looked like he'd slaughter the asshole himself. How could anyone do that to a child?

~ Present day ~

"Rai? I think the water boiled," Chad intruded on her thoughts, snapping her back to the present day.

"Oh, right, sorry." She snapped out of her trip down memory lane as she filled the teapot with the boiling water from the kettle, the clear liquid taking on a slightly greenish hue.

"Are you alright?" he asked, genuine concern was evident in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm just... Yasutora-" She took in a shaky breath as she tried for the millionth time to say the one thing she had wanted to say for two years. "That day that I escaped with Sakura, I-" she choked back the tears at the thought, but continued knowing if he stayed in Tokyo she'd never get another chance to say the words to his face "I never thanked you... verbally thanked you for all you did. You saved her life that day. Kami knows I can never repay you for that."

"Rai," he started, placing a hand on his friend's upper arm before pulling her towards his chest. He cradled her gently in his arms, his head bent downwards towards her own. "You don't have to thank me with words. You've been thanking me for two years without saying anything."

Rai smiled at that, she knew she had, but she had to verbalize it. "Maybe I had to say it, not so much because you didn't know I was grateful, but because I felt I owed you at least that. Still, I could say it until my voice left and it wouldn't be enough."

He chuckled at that, and thought about what his Abuelo had done for him, teaching him to be gentle, that size didn't mean domination. "I know the feeling," he replied as he told her the story of Abuelo and why he made a vow to never fight for himself.


	3. Chapter 3

~ Two years ago ~

Rai paced the hospital corridor, Ichigo and Dr. Kurosaki were waiting with her, Uryuu and Renji, an officer friend of theirs had shown up. Renji had taken her statement, and was now trying to coax her into sitting down. She kept refusing. Her stomach was hurting more and more, but she knew she could take the pain, she didn't think she could take losing her little sister. Then without warning the cyst ruptured, and she doubled over in pain. Instantly Isshin was at her side while Uryuu went to find a nurse. "I'm fine. I know what it is. This ha-happens sometimes," she winced in agony.

"Let's get you admitted and get some pain medication into you."

"No, no umm, isn't there a retail pharmacy here? I'll just take some advil no big deal," Rai pleaded.

"You're getting admitted."

"There's no need, damn it."

"Rai, you're bleeding," Ichigo interjected watching the red stain forming on the inseam of her jeans.

"Yeah, that happens too," she replied.

Isshin gave her a concerned glance. "It's nothing to worry about, I'm diagnosed and all getting admitted will do is dope me up on pain medication until I hallucinate about fluffy pink bunnies and candy trees. Meanwhile my baby sister's fighting for her life. Please, just some advil and maybe a caffeinated drink, it tends to speed up the release of the pain medication."

Isshin finally nodded in agreement, admitting to himself that she seemed to know what she was doing. Rai then got up and headed for the facilities, knowing what this was all about. She was going to head into the washroom when a nurse stopped her.

"Miss, are you injured?" A nurse that Uryuu returned with inquired.

"It's nothing," Rai replied, dismissing the sudden urge to vomit from the pain she was feeling.

"Were you assaulted?"

The impact of her uncle's fist connecting with her abdomen replayed in her mind.

"It's nothing," Rai repeated.

"Miss, could you be pregnant?"

"No," she calmly stated. Even if she was active, with the diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome it was unlikely she'd ever be able to have a child of her own without assistance.

"Alright, if you have the pain again, just have Uryuu look for me in the nurse's station," the nurse smiled sweetly, Rai thought the smile looked a bit fake. She entered the washroom, took care of the bleeding and then returned to the surgical waiting area where her friends were gathered, Uryuu was watching her like a hawk.

"You didn't have to run off like that Uryuu, I'm fine."

"You were doubling over," Uryuu objected.

"Yeah, that's normal for me," Rai replied, irritated at his chivalric need to protect women. He had been so convinced that her pain was from an injury she had received that he hadn't waited to hear her out.

"What was that pain from?" Ichigo asked suddenly.

Rai blushed at his question, "let's just say it's a medical condition and leave it at that."

The three men in the room with her shrugged it off as Isshin returned with Advil, coffee, and a chocolate bar. "What's the chocolate bar for?"

"Endorphines. Nature's pain killing medication!" Isshin replied flexing his muscles for some unknown reason.

Rai shrugged, and took the medication with the coffee, before unwrapping the chocolate bar and taking a bite. As she did this however, the surgeon emerged from the operating room. "Are you all the family of Sakura Hayashi?"

"No, that's her sister over there," Ichigo pointed to Rai, who was chewing on the mouthful of chocolate and waved to the surgeon. Swallowing the mouthful she inquired of the doctor, "how is she?"

"She's stable. We've had to do some extensive repairs, there was some internal damage done by the knife. However, with the damage that she endured, it's unlikely she will ever be able to maintain a pregnancy later in life. I wouldn't expect any nieces or nephews," The doctor informed her.

Rai nodded, "Can I see her?"

"When she's out of recovery. Why not go down to the cafeteria, or there's a decent restaurant around the corner. Just get something to eat, come back in about an hour and she should be in a room."

Rai nodded once more, tears were beginning to sting her eyes.

"Now, family for Yasutora Sado?"

"That's all of us Doc, he has no living relatives," replied Ichigo.

"We're kind of like his unofficial adoptive family," Uryuu added.

"well he wound up giving us about a pint of blood, it's about the average amount we take from blood donors but I'd highly recommend that he be on an iron rich diet for the next three weeks, he should be sure to drink orange juice with the iron rich foods as it will help with absorption, and he has to take it easy for the next few days. No weight lifting competitions or anything like that."

"He isn't a body builder," Ichigo objected.

"huh, thought from his size he would be," the surgeon replied, turning back to the Operating room and leaving the group of friends sitting there stunned. It wasn't long before Chad joined them, he looked pale, and he seemed a little disorientated.

"Chad, are you alright?"

"How's Sakura?"

"She's stable thanks to your blood," Ichigo replied.

"Doctor said she might need more later, I have to do what I can to get my blood count up fast so I can donate for her again," Chad replied

Ichigo's eyes grew wide, "no way! If she needs blood again I'll give up some of mine."

Rai looked from the orange haired teenage boy, to the russet haired giant beside her. How was it that she had lucked out meeting these two so soon after moving into town? And how was it her luck that she and by extension, her sister became such valued people in their lives that they'd do such things for Sakura without thinking? She wasn't sure where her four leaf clover was, but she wasn't giving it up for anything.

~ Present Day ~

Rai pulled away from Chad's arms, and looked into his brown eyes. They had dated for a few months after that incident, and Chad was still a father like figure in Sakura's life, the break up had been mutual, just the two of them realising things were getting in deep, that they clashed too much for things to work, and that they valued their friendship more than anything else. He'd always be there for Rai and Sakura, in any way that he could, but he had to be there as a friend. Not as a boyfriend, not as a lover, and not as a friend with benefits.

Isshin had hired Rai on as a receptionist at the clinic when she began the legal proceedings to emancipate herself from her father, who had allowed the abuse to happen. Rai had learned that the reason her Aunt and Uncle hadn't been getting along was because her Aunt had found kiddie porn on the computer. Uncle Toshio had claimed that it was a link he had clicked by accident. Rai's father had believed him, her Aunt hadn't.

Ichigo made sure that he was the one to coach Sakura's soccer team, that way at any time of the day, with Chad working as a Teaching Assistant at her school, Sakura always had someone she knew she could go to if anyone tried to hurt her again. She also knew whomever she went to they'd handle it fast and properly.

Sakura had needed a second transfusion, which Ichigo had provided since he was also type A, same as her and Chad. He only had to give about half a pint of blood to her that time. Within weeks, she was back to dancing, bouncing, and smiling her radiant smile. Rai had been certain that she was hiding the hurt that she felt inside over what happened. When she had asked her about, the little girl bravely replied, "nope! I don't hurt at all. I never liked Uncle Toshio, and when I needed someone to help me, you were there Rai. You were always there from the day you came to live with us."

Astounded by her young sister's mature reasoning, Rai had simply smiled warmly and rustled the child's jet black hair, her brown almost reddish eyes sparkled with confidence and serenity when Rai was around. When Ichigo or Chad were around, she still beamed confidence. When Uryuu was near, she knew if anyone so much as looked at her wrong, he'd have his eye on them. With Renji, the child knew that he'd protect her to the fullest extent of the law. These thoughts were in her mind when she woke up, and when she went to bed at night, even still nightmares occasionally snuck up on her.

The two friends and former lovers were on the same train of thought regarding their reflection of the child's astonishing inner strength when a scream in her angelic voice tore through their thoughts. Instantly both eighteen-year-olds were up from the Futon, and in the bedroom, Rai flicked the light switch on and found Sakura sitting straight up in bed, her eyes wide, frightened and wild.

"Sakura, what is it kawaii ohime sama (1)?"

"Uncle Toshio," she replied turning a bit green. Chad stiffened, she hadn't had a nightmare about her uncle in nearly a year, he wondered what had brought it on.

"Hime Sakura, are you afraid I'll never come back?"

Sakura thought for a second, then blushing she nodded, a bit of insecurity in her movement. Chad knelt next to her, and then reaching behind his own neck, he removed the medallion his Abuelo had given him, he then looked her in the eye. "No matter what Kawaiko chan, nothing could keep me from coming back to see you and your sister, but as an added vow-" he opened her small hand, and placed the Mexican coin medallion into her hand, and closed her hand around it. "-I'm giving you this to keep safe for me Hime Sakura. As long as you have this medallion, you have my promise I will be back, and I will keep protecting you whenever I'm around."

The little girl smiled, looking down at the medallion, he had told her about his Abuelo, and that his Abuelo had left him that coin medallion when he died. She looked up at him, confidence brewing in her again. She kissed his cheek gingerly.

"How about Chad stays and reads you another story?" Rai suggested.

"Would you like that Hime Sakura?"

The little girl nodded. He smiled and told her to pick out a book. She selected her favorite Harry Potter novel. Yasutora took the book from the child, and adjusting himself next to her bed, so that he was leaning up against the wall, next to her head, he began reading the context of the book.

Rai watched the sight before her, she knew it wouldn't be with her, but whomever it was that was lucky enough, Yasutora Sado would one day make an excellent Father, and a terrific husband.

She left the two alone, knowing Sakura needed the one on one time with him before he departed to better his own life.

An hour and a half later, he emerged from the girl's bedroom, gently closing over the door, Rai had changed into her nightgown, which told him it was time for him to leave. He looked at her once more. Her golden blond hair was tied back in a braid now, she always did that before she went to bed. Her powder blue night gown flowed gracefully down to her knees, he knew she still had her underwear on. She always wore those, what's more, with her in a night gown instead of a white two piece pajama set, he knew it wasn't her time of the month. He had only dated her for five months, but he had stayed the night a few times, when Rai was sick from the ovarian cysts and Sakura needed to be cared for, or when they had just had a movie night and wound up losing track of the time. But they had never done anything.

"Rai?"

"I was going to say you've been unusual tonight Chad, what's up?"

"I was wondering… do you think the reason things didn't work out before was because it was too soon after-" his voice trailed off, he hated bringing it up, acknowledging that it had happened.

Rai nodded, "I sometimes wonder that, I'll admit."

"Rai, could we, I – I mean if you want to, could we give it another try?"

"Chad," she was at a loss for words.

"I realized something since I got the acceptance letter from Tokyo University. I realized I could never live in Tokyo, or Okinawa, or Kobe… or Mexico. I don't want to live where you and Sakura don't live. I love you, and I love Sakura. If things worked out between us, I'd adopt her as my own. We could just adopt as many children as we want and can afford," he was rambling and he knew it, but he wanted to get his point across. He didn't care that she couldn't have children.

Rai looked over at the clock on the wall, it was getting late, and since they had broken up it had been a rule that he not stay the night. She didn't want to confuse Sakura.

"Chad… now isn't the time, it's late."

"Now's the only time I have. I'll be busy the rest of the week and then I'm gone for three months until Christmas, if I can afford to come back for Christmas vacation," he stated, he was a little bit angry and upset that she was trying to dismiss this so easily and force him out before he had an answer.

"I never stopped caring about you Rai, there hasn't been anyone else."

Her eyes welled at his words, even still, what would this do to Sakura? She wasn't sure. She was fond of Chad, there was no doubt there, and he was fond of her often calling her "Princess Sakura" or "little one" affectionately. "Me either," she admitted.

Chad wasn't sure what that meant, or even what to say, so he did the only thing he could think to do. He walked over to her, tilting her chin up to meet his eyes, he leaned in and gently brushed his lips against hers. A familiar electric sensation swept through both of them at that slight touch. Then he inquired, "does that mean we can try again?"

Rai bit her lip, she wasn't sure about this, but at the same time, she thought about herself, what she wanted, but the tilter was when she thought about Sakura, and how they interacted together. It was a healthy relationship for her, maybe all she had needed last time was a chance to adjust to suddenly being out in the world without a legal guardian and being a the guardian herself.

She finally broke into a smile, and nodded her head, "yes, we can try again."

* * *

1) kawaii ohime sama= Sweet Princess


End file.
